Ruan Ras believes it is not the will to win that makes you a champion; it is refusing to fail that does.
Every time the Tuks swimmer and architecture student puts his mind to something, it is with one goal in mind. That is to succeed. And he has up to now. At the end of last year, he passed his honours degree in architecture cum laude.
Ras dedication for perfection did not only happen. In 2011 he faced the biggest challenge of his life. He was diagnosed with having Burkitt's lymphoma cancer. The talented swimmer was never going to allow it to get the better of him. His biggest frustration at the time was not able to swim while undergoing chemotherapy. Ras made a full recovery in 2012. The experience changed his perception of life.
"Having survived cancer led to me mature at a young age. I realised that nothing is impossible if you have faith and can persevere. In a way, my experience might have helped me cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I made a mindset change early on as I realised being cynical about what happened served no purpose. I was going to lose time from swimming. There was nothing I could do about it. To make up for it, I did every possible exercise at home to try and get physically stronger. I promised myself that I will give it my all once I am back in the pool."
At long last, the Tuks swimmers got to dive in last week. According to Ras, it was special. His body, however, has seemed to forget how far 50 metres can be. Not that he is complaining.
"I got to compliment the people who looked after the pool at Tuks during the lockdown. The water was absolutely clean, and the temperature perfect. Thank you."
As a swimmer, the goal he set himself is to try and qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He reckons he has the best chance of doing so in the 400m individual medley. He is also competitive in the 200m individual medley as well as the 200m and 400m freestyle events.
Ras loves the challenges of being a swimmer and student. It keeps him sane.
"Sometimes it is swimming that keeps me going and at other times my studies."
It was while he was Grade 8-learner at TuksSport High School that he realised he wanted to study architecture.
"I was fascinated by the structures of the different buildings, especially those in Johannesburg."
In light of the universal fear about the effects of global warming, it is no surprise that Ras has a passion for sustainable architecture. It entails the design of buildings using a combination of energy-efficient technology and renewable materials.
As an athlete means that the Tuks student is also keen to design sports stadiums that will positively impact on the athletes who train there.
"Sometimes, when I walk into a swimming stadium, I pick up a vibe that it is going to be an excellent gala. At other times on entering, you know it is not going to be your day."
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